Beliefs
We are committed to the great doctrines of God’s sovereign grace.
Bible Chapel of Delhi Hills is an independent Christian church. Although having no denominational affiliation over the years, Bible Chapel has become more and more committed to the biblical doctrines of God’s grace as maintained in the Reformed tradition and is baptistic in practice.
A Summary Statement of Doctrine
One
We believe in the one true and living God, in three Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, who is invisible, personal, omnipresent, eternal, dependent on none, unchanging, truthful, trustworthy, almighty, sovereign, omniscient, righteous, holy, good, loving, merciful, long-suffering and gracious.
Two
We believe that Almighty God has revealed all that is necessary to life and salvation in the sixty-six books of Holy Scripture which are the Word of God. All Scripture was given by inspiration of God, is infallible and inerrant, and is the final arbiter in all disputes. Its authority is derived from its Author and not from the opinions of men.
Three
We believe that God made our first father Adam perfect, holy, and upright. He was appointed representative and head of the human race thereby exposing all his offspring to the effects of his obedience or disobedience to God’s commands.
Four
We believe that Adam fell from his original righteousness into sin and brought upon himself and all his offspring death, condemnation and sinnership.
Five
We believe it is utterly beyond the power of fallen man to love God, to keep His laws, to understand the gospel, to repent of sin, or trust in Christ.
Six
We believe that God, before the foundation of the world, for His own glory did elect an innumerable host of men and women to eternal life as an act of free and sovereign grace. This election was in no way dependent upon His foresight of human faith, decision, works or merit.
Seven
We believe that God sent His Son into the world, conceived of the virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit, unchangeably sinless, both God and man, born under the Law, to live a life of perfect righteousness, on behalf of His elect people.
Eight
We believe that God’s Son died at Calvary to effect propitiation, reconciliation, redemption, and atonement for His elect people. God bore testimony to His acceptance of His Son’s work by raising Him from the dead.
Nine
We believe that God’s Son ascended to the right hand of His Father and is enthroned in glory, where He intercedes on behalf of His people and rules over all things for their sake.
Ten
We believe that God the Son has poured out the Holy Spirit to work through the preached Word. The Spirit of God regenerates the elect sinner and draws him irresistibly to faith in Christ the Savior.
Eleven
We believe the elect, who are called by grace, are justified in the sight of God on account of the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ which is received by faith alone.
Twelve
We believe that such as are regenerated, called, and justified shall persevere in holiness and never finally, fall away.
Thirteen
We believe that baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper are gospel ordinances belonging only to regenerated believers.
Fourteen
We believe that the local church is under the authority of Christ alone. The communion of saints, however, requires recognition of and fellowship with other churches.
Fifteen
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ shall come again to raise the dead, both righteous and unrighteous and that the righteous shall enjoy everlasting life and the wicked endure everlasting punishment.
The Five Solas
The Bible is the inspired Word of God and without error and sufficient to instruct us in all that we need to know about faith and life. We are committed to the great doctrines of God’s sovereign grace.
We have a plurality of Elders to shepherd the flock. It is our desire in worship that God’s character and works be made known. We seek to do this through God exalting-music, the observance of the ordinances of believer’s baptism and the Lord’s Supper and the public reading and preaching of God’s Word.
We also seek, as a body of believers in our relationships with one another, to encourage and stir up one another to “to growth in grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Pet.3:18). We’d be delighted to have you visit with us at some time, but if distance prevents that, we hope that some of our materials might be of help to you.
Sola Scriptura
We reaffirm the inerrant Scripture to be the sole source of written divine revelation, which alone can bind the conscience. The Bible alone teaches all that is necessary for our salvation from sin and is the standard by which all Christian behavior must be measured. We deny that any creed, council or individual may bind a Christian’s conscience, that the Holy Spirit speaks independently of or contrary to what is set forth in the Bible, or that personal spiritual experience can ever be a vehicle of revelation.
Solus Christus
We reaffirm that our salvation is accomplished by the mediatorial work of the historical Christ alone. His sinless life and substitutionary atonement alone are sufficient for our justification and reconciliation to the Father. We deny that the gospel is preached if Christ’s substitutionary work is not declared and faith in Christ and his work is not solicited.
Sola Gratia
We reaffirm that in salvation we are rescued from God’s wrath by his grace alone. It is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit that brings us to Christ by releasing us from our bondage to sin and raising us from spiritual death to spiritual life.
We deny that salvation is in any sense a human work. Human methods, techniques or strategies by themselves cannot accomplish this transformation. Faith is not produced by our unregenerated human nature.
Sola Fide
We reaffirm that justification is by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone. In justification Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us as the only possible satisfaction of God’s perfect justice.
We deny that justification rests on any merit to be found in us, or upon the grounds of an infusion of Christ’s righteousness in us, or that an institution claiming to be a church that denies or condemns sola fide can be recognized as a legitimate church.
Soli Deo Gloria
We reaffirm that because salvation is of God and has been accomplished by God, it is for God’s glory and that we must glorify him always. We must live our entire lives before the face of God, under the authority of God and for his glory alone.
We deny that we can properly glorify God if our worship is confused with enter-tainment, if we neglect either Law or Gospel in our preaching, or if self-improvement, self-esteem or self-fulfillment are allowed to become alternatives to the gospel.